Ladder carriage

ABSTRACT

A ladder carriage for transporting and erecting a ladder includes a frame attachable to the ladder inwardly from an end thereof, trailing arms pivoted to the frame and a wheel and axle assembly carried on the trailing arms. A winch mounted on the frame is provided to move a rope thereon which is also trained over a pulley on the wheel and axle assembly so that the wheel and axle assembly may be moved in pivotal relation to the ladder whereby the ladder may be moved from substantially horizontal to the substantially vertical position.

United States Patent Inventors Charles W. Blair Route 3 Box 273, Cortland, Ohio 44410; Margaret C. Blair, exeeutrix, of said Charles W. Blair, deceased [211 App]. No. 16,182 V [22] Filed Mar. 3, 1970 [45] Patented Oct. 12, 1971 [54] LADDER CARRIAGE 2 Claims, 2 DrawingFigs.

52 11.8. CI 182/127, 182/165 [51] Int.Cl E06c 5/24 [50] Field otSearch [82/127, 16, 17,20, 165

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 369,148 8/1887 Wright 182/17 447,429 3/1891 Ives 182/1'7 986,953 3/1911 Soule 182/16 2,046,516 7/1936 Johnson 182/16 2,186,119 l/l940 Moen 182/127 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machad'o Attorney-Webster B. l-larpman ABSTRACT: A ladder carriage for transporting and erecting a ladder includes a frame attachable to the ladder inwardly from an end thereof, trailing arms pivoted to the frame and a wheel and axle assembly carried on the trailing arms. A winch mounted on the frame is provided to move a rope thereon which is also trained over a pulley on the wheel and axle assembly so that the wheel and axle assembly may be moved in pivotal relation to the ladder whereby the ladder may he moved from substantially horizontal to the substantially vertical position.

PATENTEDUCHZIBYI 3,612,218

Charles W. Blair.

LADDER CARRIAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a ladder carriage which may be used to carry a ladder in horizontal position and alternately move the ladder from horizontal to near vertical position.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior structures of this type have comprised devices which hold the ladder in both horizontal and elevated relation. See for example, US. Pat. Nos. 318,600; 750,402; 506,411; 655,082 and 1,727,211. The prior art constructions usually employ a ladder support for holding the ladder in elevated position where it is in a position near vertical. Some of the prior art constructions are capable of moving the ladder when in horizontal position but none of them known to applicant enable the ladder to be positioned with one end on the floor and the device then used to move the remainder of the ladder to a substantially vertical erected position with respect thereto, with the ladder remaining on the floor and carried thereby during the subsequent use.

This invention eliminates the danger of relying on the structure for supporting the ladder in elevated relation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A ladder carriage comprising a frame that may be clamped to a ladder inwardly from one end thereof, a trailing arm assembly is pivoted to the frame and a wheel and axle assembly is mounted on the free end of the trailing arm assembly. Cross pieces on the frame limit the pivotal motion of the trailing arm assembly and a winch on the frame is connected to the wheel and axle assembly by a rope for moving the same toward the ladder whereby the ladder may be moved from substantially horizontal to substantially vertical position through the leverage action of the ladder carriage when the trailing arm assembly and the wheel and axle assembly thereof are moved relative to the frame and ladder.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the ladder carriage embodying the present invention shown attached to a ladder, parts of which are broken away.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ladder carriage showing the same in position moving a ladder to elevated position. Parts of the ladder are broken away.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its simplest form the ladder carriage of this invention comprises a frame consisting of parallel spaced angles and 11 each of which has an arcuate body member 12 thereon and which body members are interconnected by transversely positioned angle members 13. The parallel spaced angles 10 and 11 are oppositely disposed and each has two C-clamps 14 attached thereto so that the angles 10 and 11 may be secured to the rails R of a ladder preferably near one end of a section thereof.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the ladder may be an extension ladder with a movable section (not shown). The ladder carriage includes a pair of oppositely disposed journals 15 secured to the angles 10 and 11 midway between their ends and serving to mount a transverse shaft 16 therebetween. A pair of trailing arms 17 extend from the transverse shaft 16 to an axle 18 which in turn carries a pair of ground engaging wheels 19.

It will thus be seen that the axles l8 and the wheels 19 are in effect carried on the free ends of the trailing arms 17 and that they may move in an are based on the transverse shaft 16 within the limits established by the angle members 13. In order that the wheel and axle assembly can be moved relative to the frame of the ladder carriage and the ladder attached thereto, a winch is provided and includes a shaft 20 journaled in bearings 21 on the angles 10 and 11. A rope 22 is wrapped about the shaft 20 and trained over a first pulley 23 attac ed to one of the rungs of the ladder R and over a second pulley 24 attached to the axle l8 and then back to the rung of the ladder adjacent the pulley 23. 'Ilhe winch shaft 20 is provided with a crank 25 so that upon revblving the shaft 20 by the crank 25 the rope 22 will cause the axle l8 and wheels 19 thereon to move toward one end of the ladder as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Alternately, releasing the winch and permitting the rope 22 to be played out permits the wheels 19 and the axle 18 to move to a position away from the end of the ladder. As seen in FIG. I the trailing arms 17 have engaged against the angle member 13 and in this position the ladder carriage may be used to move the ladder in a horizontal position.

When the ladder is in horizontal position and the ladder carriage is in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the wheels are spaced inwardly from the lower end of the ladder, the right end as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings and the trailing arms 17 are engaged against one of the angle members 13 which form part of the frame of the ladder carriage. In such a position the horizontal ladder may be wheeled about with most of the weight of the ladder carried on the wheels 19. In arriving at a location where the ladder is to be erected so as to lean upon a wall or an overhead support, for example, the lower end of the ladder, the right end as seen in FIG. I, is positioned on the ground where it will be in inclined position thereto due to the positioning of the wheels 19 therein under. The winch shaft 20 is then revolved to reel in the rope 22 and which action will move the wheels 19 from left to right as seen in FIG. 1 of the drawings and in FIG. 2 of the drawings bringing them closer to the lower end of the ladder and changing the relative angle of the trailing arms 17 with respect thereto. As this occurs, the ladder will move from its angular position to a near vertical position as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings and when the position is such that the upper end of the ladder is in proximity to a supporting surface, the ladder is then pushed forward so that the upper end engages the supporting surface and the ladder rests thereon.

It will thus be seen that the weight of the ladder is largely carried on the ladder carriage when the ladder is moved about and the effort necessary for moving the ladder from horizontal to substantially vertical position is supplied by the ladder carriage by moving the wheels from one angular position to another as by means of the winch provided. To remove the ladder it is only necessary to move it away from its support position and permit the winch to unwind to return the wheels 19 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

l. A ladder carriage comprising a frame and means for attaching the frame to a ladder, a trailing arm assembly journaled on said frame and a wheel and axle assembly journaled on the free end of said trailing assembly and means interconnecting said trailing arm assembly and said frame for moving the trailing arm assembly toward and away from said frame, transversely positioned members on said frame arranged to act as motion limiting means for said trailing arm assembly.

2. The ladder carriage set forth in claim 1 and wherein said frame has arcuate body members positioned longitudinally thereof and said trailing arm assembly is pivoted to said frame midway between the ends of said arcuate members and in sliding engagement therewith. 

1. A ladder carriage comprising a frame and means for attaching The frame to a ladder, a trailing arm assembly journaled on said frame and a wheel and axle assembly journaled on the free end of said trailing assembly and means interconnecting said trailing arm assembly and said frame for moving the trailing arm assembly toward and away from said frame, transversely positioned members on said frame arranged to act as motion limiting means for said trailing arm assembly.
 2. The ladder carriage set forth in claim 1 and wherein said frame has arcuate body members positioned longitudinally thereof and said trailing arm assembly is pivoted to said frame midway between the ends of said arcuate members and in sliding engagement therewith. 